Ignus Fatuus

There was in every hollow
A hundred wrymouthed wisps.
—Dafydd ap Gwilym (trans. Wirt Sikes), 1340




Yes kiddies, its that time of year again. Break out your cloaks (those of you who dont wear them year round) and dust off your wooden brooms, its time to prep for all Hallow's Eve. It is one of your eridute writer's favored past times to steep in the rich water's of holiday lore before the main event. I wanted to talk about Jack-O-Lantern's, yes again. Dont roll your eyes at me sis. After ruminating upon the topic I realized that there was a very important and related legend that we need to touch upon, that of Ignus Fatuus.

Other names you have heard Ignus Fatuus referred to as:
The Lambent Flame
Will o' Wisp
The Hobby Lantern
Jack the Lantern
Corpse Fire
Irrlicht
Foxfire
Friar Lantern

and thats just to name a few...

So what is this mega-awesome Ignus Fatuus all about? Well let me tell you. They are gaseous eminations from flatulant Scottish men. No no, not really. They are floating and drifting lights, usually found in swamps and bogs. With no apparent source of energy, they drift about as they please.

Gaelic and Slavic legend tell that they are mischevious/malevolent spirits. They are manifestations of a non-human, possibly dead intelligence. Legend also has it that they like to lead travellers to dangerous situations, or treasure if the person is brave (or foolish) enough to follow. Sometimes they even use illusion to appear in the form of luminescent mortal creature if one peers deeply enough into the light.

Another claim is that these wisps are doomed souls. Human souls who are trapped between heaven and hell, forever locked out of the world of the living. They trudge restlessly about the earth. Only able to manifest for short times at night. Why would they lead travellers astray then? Perhaps doing so might help them on their mission for final rest. Or maybe they just like fucking with people since they are screwed anyway. Whatever the motivation is, they dont seem to kill mortals. So if you encounter one, and follow it, you could end up being in a messed up situation. You will probably live though, unless you do something dumb to get yourself dead.

Now, another claim is that they are methane gas created by rotting vegitation, which does make a reasonable kind of sense. That or that they are phosphoretted hydrogen. There seems to be no documentable scientific evidence to conclude what they are. It is rare that these things occur in the modern age, nor can their effects be produced in a lab. You may want to draw your own conclusions. If you do end up following one, and live to tell the tale, do let me know.



To better arm you for any possible encounters you may have with these nasty little lights, I will list two charts below with corresponding data and reference documents for your perusal. Happy Hunting!

Note: Click on the picture to get a better view of it!